Market intelligence · Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia childcare real estate: values, cap rates & market data.

Q: Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. Little Scholars runs confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared.

What childcare centers and daycare properties are worth in the Philadelphia market — grounded in our own sold-comps database, our 2025 tuition survey, and U.S. Census data.

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345,905

Children under 5 in the Philadelphia metro (2023)

+2.8%

Population change, 2018–2023

$89,273

Median household income — above the U.S. national median

−3.5%

Change in under-5 population, 2018–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 & 2023), Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area.

What this means for owners

Suburban Philadelphia is a franchise stronghold.

The Philadelphia metro holds 345,905 children under 5 and a median household income of $89,273, well above the national median. The under-5 count eased just 3.5% from 2018 to 2023 — gentler than most large Northeastern metros.

The suburban collar counties — Montgomery, Chester, Bucks — are where our surveyed schools sit, running high-70s percent median occupancy. Pennsylvania comps trade around a 7.5% median cap on 23 sales, the widest yields among the big Northeastern childcare markets.

2025 tuition rates · Philadelphia market

Real rates from Philadelphia-market schools.

Actual monthly tuition rates our team received from national-chain schools in this market during our 2025 survey — not averages. Tuition drives revenue, and revenue drives value.

$1,905

Median infant rate / mo · Philadelphia market

$1,591

Median preschool rate / mo · Philadelphia market

74%

Median occupancy (enrollment ÷ licensed capacity), schools reporting

Brand	Location	Infant / mo	Pre-K / mo	Licensed capacity
KinderCare	Bala Cynwyd (Belmont Ave)	$2,360	$1,970	80
KinderCare	North Wales (N Sumneytown Pike)	$1,992	$1,710	198
KinderCare	Pottstown (Industrial Hwy)	$1,905	$1,580	160
Tutor Time	West Chester (Liberty Way)	$1,749	$1,433	181
Bright Horizons	Phoenixville (Egypt Rd)	—	$1,875	170
Kiddie Academy	Delran, NJ (Route 130)	$1,771	$1,576	180
Kiddie Academy	Harleysville (Clemens Rd)	$1,754	$1,490	182
Kiddie Academy	Warminster (Veterans Way)	$1,671	$1,451	142
Kiddie Academy	Horsham (Enterprise Rd)	$2,078	$1,732	174
Kiddie Academy	Phoenixville (Chrisevyn Ln)	$1,927	$1,602	135

Disclosure: these rates and enrollment figures were manually received by our team, directly from each school, during our 2025 survey. Only schools that shared rates are shown; figures may have changed since. Medians are computed across the schools shown; median occupancy uses only schools that reported exact enrollment. Licensed capacity per state licensing records. Source: Little Scholars 2025 brand rate survey.

Cap rates & valuation context

What childcare properties trade at in Pennsylvania.

Across our sold-comps database, Pennsylvania childcare properties have typically traded at 7.0–7.7% cap rates, at a median of $289 per square foot, across 23 statewide sales. Where your property lands comes down to tenant credit, lease term, and the site itself.

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Source: Little Scholars sold-comps dataset — medians from 23 Pennsylvania childcare sales (13 with reported cap rate), within 592 transactions across 41 states; compiled from public records, updated June 2026.

7.0–7.7%

Typical cap-rate range, PA sales

7.5%

Median sold cap rate, PA

$289

Median price per SF, PA

PA childcare sales in our dataset

Brand (national)	Median sold cap	Median $/SF
KinderCare	6.67%	$381
La Petite Academy	6.89%	$207
Kiddie Academy	6.46%	$378
Tutor Time	8.47%	$372
Childtime	6.20%	$262

Market activity

7 childcare properties currently listed for sale in Pennsylvania.

Source: on-market childcare listings on Crexi as of July 20, 2026, reviewed by our team for childcare relevance. Availability changes daily; contact us for current opportunities.

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Why Little Scholars

The childcare broker who's run one.

30⁺

Years in the industry

70⁺

Centers sold

18⁺

States nationwide

2,800⁺

Investors in our network

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FAQ

Questions from Philadelphia owners.

How much does daycare tuition cost in Philadelphia?

In our 2025 survey of national-chain schools in the Philadelphia market, actual rates ran roughly $1,671–$2,360/mo for infants and $1,433–$1,970/mo for Pre-K, with medians of $1,905 and $1,591. Rates were received directly from each school and vary by program and location.

What cap rates do childcare properties sell at in Pennsylvania?

In our sold-comps dataset of 23 Pennsylvania childcare sales, properties have sold at a median cap rate of roughly 7.5%, typically ranging 7.0–7.7%, at a median of $289 per square foot. Individual deals vary with tenant credit, lease term, and location.

How much is my Philadelphia daycare business worth?

Childcare businesses are usually valued on a multiple of SDE or EBITDA, and the real estate on its income and comparable sales. Our instant valuation tool estimates both — free and confidential.

Who buys childcare centers in the Philadelphia region?

Regional and national operators, franchisees, and net-lease real-estate investors. We maintain a network of 2,800+ childcare and net-lease investors who actively acquire early-education assets across 18+ states.

Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. We run confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared. Here's how our process works.

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